Protest fast in Jaffna against Vanni killings, displacements

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2009, 09:19 GMT]
More than 400 persons including Jaffna Bishop, Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam, former Bishop of Church of South India, Catholic priests and nuns took part Wednesday morning in a protest fast, urging Sri Lanka government to stop the artillery barrage and aerial bombardment on Vanni civilians and to bring an end to their continuing displacements, sources in Jaffna said. The protest held in front of St. Mary’s Church in Jaffna began around 9:00 a.m. Meanwhile, a Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commander, who unexpectedly came and sat for about 15 minutes along with the protestors, told that Buddhist Sinhala Chauvinists are the primary cause of the current problem before leaving, the sources added.



The SLA intelligence personnel who had accompanied the above mentioned commander, however, took time to photograph the participants, organizers of the event and the media reporters who were at the site of the protest fast, the sources further said.

The protesters urged the Sri Lanka government to immediately stop its war on the innocent Tamils in Vanni and to put an end to the continuing displacements of people in Vanni.

Efforts are being made to bring in people from other religious and social organizations to participate in this protest fast which will continue from 9:00 a.m to 3:00 p.m daily, the organizers said.



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